Do away with alcoholism, switch off hunger hormone

Malaysia News.Net
Wednesday 23rd December, 2009

Drinking problems can be controlled by switching off a hormone that induces appetite and alcohol consumption, reserach says.

A new study, carried out by scientist Jerlhag and his colleagues at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, showed that ghrelin, a hormone released by the stomach and known to promote appetite and food intake, also influences the consumption of alcohol.

The results showed that mice injected with ghrelin and then given alcohol or water to drink, were more likely to choose alcohol.

At the same time, mice treated with ghrelin antagonists, as well as knockout mice (mice with the hormone's receptor removed), proved resistant to the effects of alcohol.

Faculty of 1000 Biology reviewer Kent Berridge, University of Michigan professor, says ghrelin-injected mice showed more than a typical appetite for calories in choosing alcohol and the findings might influence treatment strategies for alcoholism, says a Gothenburg release.

'These results seem to suggest a role for the effects of ghrelin on the brain in the motivation for alcohol consumption,' says Berridge.

Faculty of 1000 Biology is a unique online service that keeps people informed of high impact articles and accesses the opinions of global leaders in biology.

The findings were published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Have your say on this story